The folks I was involved with really ate this end time stuff up. Most dispemsational oriented views of the bible truly into end times. Funny Dispensationalism is neither biblical nor historic. True the early Christians were apocalyptic in nature but they were not in any way dispemsational. The early Christians were actually confessional and sacramental in view and in structure. I don't by the RCC point of view that they were Catholic in the modern post Trent sense but they were neither fundamentalist or some hiding remnant that popped up in the 1800's. The funny thing is fundamentalism itself is not some old early belief that came back for the "end times" but it to is a modern response, in my opinion to science and technological advances. I guess in a way of trying to make the Mythos literal. This one shift in view truly tips the balance of religion and reason.
If one is honest one sees that most of the crazy cults of the last 200 years were spond from end time pre trib Dispensationalism. A mixture of a modern historical facade and 18 th century romanticism. The problem is it just does not work, if one wonders the effect, just take a look at y2k. This was played up big time in the fundamentalist circles, they truly wanted the world to end that day. When it didn’t they went looking for a new boogieman to parade around.
I believe people can have whatever faith they wish, but some beliefs can, and often are, destructive. The whole end time scenarios along with the KJOism, young earth creationists, and later reign eschatology to name a few truly do hurt people and congregations. I have seen whole groups of people split over things like the KJOims or end time beliefs. The tragedy is that the real ministries where people truly need help get hoisted to the back burner.
I mean Benny Hinn can rake in 180 million a year in his hey day. That is sad to say the least. Most of these people give their lives savings, and more important their time to groups that could care less about both.
Even in the main stream there is a sense of program over people, belief over believer. What is truly sad is that people will trample all over their truth in order to protect it. It is so schizophrenic that people just loose all sense of reason and self.
I have sat in rooms with people droning on about Satan and demons and then they spout some tripe that Bob larson or some other talking head spouted on some show or videotape. I mean it is really scary that people go down this road. I believed in hook line and sinker, and it cost me 17 years of my life, which means nothing to the people I called my friends.
I don’t buy it any more.
Why believe Revelation or Last Days?
by Seeker 38 Replies latest jw friends
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Briand
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Seeker
You can "ROFL" all you want but it won't change a thing.
Correct, no matter what I say, you're wrong.
It's growing EVERYWHERE except Canada and Western Europe,
And the billion-and-a-half Chinese, and the billion Indians, and the billion Moslems....
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Rex B13
This day could be any of our 'last days'.
There is absolutely no reason to dwell on 'end times'. I was just pointing out to Seeker how far he has bought into non-belief and replaced it with nothing except MAN'S WISDOM.
Most of us have enough trouble living up to our calling: "Deny thyself, Take up thy cross daily and follow me". Luke 9.23.
Rex -
Seeker
I was just pointing out to Seeker how far he has bought into non-belief and replaced it with nothing except MAN'S WISDOM.
That's all there is. Look at how many foolish quotes and reasoning you post on this site -- clearly you haven't found a better wisdom or else you'd be learning from your mistakes.
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Moxy
When you say it's gonna happen now
well what exactly do you mean?
See i've already waited too long
and all my hope is gone.'How Soon is Now' by the Smiths
mox
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Rex B13
>And the billion-and-a-half Chinese, and the billion Indians, and the billion Moslems
Yep, there may be as many millions or more in China as there were in Russia....meeting secretly. Christians are enduring persecution in both India and the moslem nations because the message and the result is so effective.
Regardless, you answered NONE of my points above Mr.(ROFL) Seeker.
Rex -
Seeker
Of course I answered your points, WW. I just answered them with indirection. You indirectly answered your own point too by suggesting their "may" be a million Christians in those non-Christian lands. Exactly! Out of more than 3 billion non-Christians in those lands, there may be 1/3 of 1% Christians. Most of the world has little or no contact with Christianity, as we have both now confirmed.
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Rex B13
Christian radio stations braodcast directly to 250 million chinese. The Catholic church has a count in the millions and some estimates for all Christian religions combined are over 200 million. This is from missionaries coming out for various reasons.
A Christian publication by 'Focus on the Family' soild 15,000 copies out in days. The Chinese authorities are often looking the other way....funny thing about Christ, His messengers infect even those who seek to control them! Pity the poor jailors left to guard the apostle Paul, eh? Not pity, rejoice for they gained salvation, soemthing that you refuse to even consider.
Rex -
Seeker
I've been reading about China in recent years. The coastal cities do, indeed, have contact with the western world. I have no doubt that many of the Chinese living there are aware of Christianity, though what appeal it could have for them given their way of viewing the world is beyond me. However, what you may not be aware of, given your comments, is that the vast majority of Chinese do not live in these accessible areas. Most Chinese live in the interior, virtually cut off from outside influences. I mean, Communist party politics barely registers to these rural people. There are hundreds of millions of Chinese that have yet to have any contact with a Westerner, and the concept of the Bible (let alone Christ) is completely foreign to them.
Your Christian missionaries are no more believable in their reports than are JWs when talking about how vast an influence they have in China. The fact is, most Chinese haven't even heard of Christ.
All of this ignores the one billion Muslims who know of Christ, but have little use for your Christianity. Then let's throw in the billion people of India, some Muslim, mostly Hindu, who also know of Christ and say No Thank You.
It will always be thus with those places. Always. Christianity will not resonate with their cultures, no matter how hard you huff and you puff.